1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a work characteristic evaluating apparatus, a work characteristic evaluation method, and a program, for evaluating a work characteristic by judging a factor of stress that is placed on a worker through a work activity, in particular, a work characteristic evaluating apparatus, a work characteristic evaluating method, and a program, for judging a factor of stress that is placed on a driver through a vehicle driving activity.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Up to now, various technical developments have been made for automobiles to allow high-speed and safe driving. Various other techniques are still under study to allow a driver to comfortably drive an automobile.
In order to allow a comfortable drive, automobile manufacturers companies and the like are now studying a method of judging a degree of driving burden placed on a driver.
For example, as an example of the method of judging the driving burden on the driver who is driving an automobile, JP 2002-230699 A (hereinafter, referred to as Patent Document 1) discloses a method of judging a driving burden on a driver with good responsiveness based on a competitive state between a plurality of muscles used for a driving operation.
To be specific, a competitive value between muscles is calculated by multiplying a myoelectric potential of a biceps brachii muscle and that of a triceps brachii muscle. It is judged whether or not a driving burden is increased based on whether or not the calculated competitive value exceeds a predetermined threshold value.
JP 2004-49623 A (hereinafter, referred to as Patent Document 2) discloses a method of judging stress placed on a driver when the driver drives an automobile.
To be specific, a myoelectric signal of a masseter muscle is measured while the driver is driving. Based on the measured myoelectric signal, the stress placed on the driver is judged.
However, the method disclosed in Patent Document 1 is disadvantageous in that a driving burden (stress) to be judged caused by a physical work load and that caused by a mental load cannot be discriminated from each other. During the driving of an automobile, for example, there are cases where a great physical work load is placed by a steering operation for too small an assist rate of power steering of the automobile and where the mental load is placed by driving an unfamiliar automobile. The judgment cannot be made independently for each of the cases.
Similarly, even in Patent Document 2, the judgment of the degree of the driving burden cannot be made independently for the physical work load and the mental load.